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Durekhan
Durekhan was a trade port city founded during the Age of Ascension by Boras Durek. It was destroyed in the Battle of Crimson Bay. History An enterprising human merchant named Boras Durek founded the trade port city during the Age of Ascension. Ships from the western and eastern kingdoms came to trade goods on neutral ground, free from the laws and regulations common in other large cities. Durekhan prospered, and eventually Boras needed to fund his own militia to protect his interests from greedy kings who sought to add his holdings to their own. The people who lived in and around the city became known as the Durek. The ownership of Durekhan passed to Durek's dscendants after the death of Boras. They maintained it as a thriving trade hub for a long while. Eventually the city was faced with piracy from a group of seafaring brigands led by a mysterious pirate known as Majdul. The brigands attacked cargo ships laden with goods, slaughtering those who would not swear loyalty to Majdul and join his crew. Kingdoms began to avoid the port, and sought other trade routes, which caused Durekhan's wealth to fade. The sultan of Durekhan, Nuriyah Durek, offered a king's ransom for the head of Majdul. She outfitted her militia with ships, but they were not as seasoned as Majdul's men upon the waves. Time and again the forces of Durekhan were beaten. Years of raiding took their toll on Durekhan and bankrupted the Durek family. With her mercenary army largely deserting her, the sultan could no longer defend the city. Majdul attacked with all his forces, slaughtering those who opposed him. The waters ran red with the blood of the city's defenders in what came to be called the Battle of Crimson Bay. Nuriyah Durek was captured by Majdul himself, carried off in the pirate captain's ship. The city was sacked and was left a smoky ruin. News of the attack, as well as the continuing piracy by Majdul's forces, spread across the realm. The Thex king in Neriak sent his naval forces to put an end to Majdul's tyranny. The pirate's hideout was discovered and attacked by the dal navy. Though the pirate's men fought fiercely and took a massive toll on the dal forces, the brigands were greatly outnumbered. Many of Majdul's men were killed or hauled away in irons, though the leader himself escaped. Efforts to rescue Nuriyah Durek failed; witnesses would later claim to have seen her upon the deck of Majdul's flagship as it fled. As the years passed, smaller towns and villages along the coast sprang up such as Sagara, Ojin, Ortallius, and Rathmana, though none would ever become as successful a trade hub as Durekhan had been. Far to the north, the coastal city of Freeport would thrive and became the new eastern capital for commerce.Moorgard on EverQuest Next Forums Scandal and Rumors After the massacre, one of Sultan's Royal guards asserted that Nuriyah Durek and Majdul were secretly lovers, and had plotted to run away together. He claimed that she had hid away her family's remaining fortune and claimed it had been expended. She then left the city open for her paramour's attack. He claimed that the two ran off with the Durek riches, and rather than continue his pirating ways, Majdul himself revealed the location of his hideout so that the Dal would find it. There was little substantiation for this tale, beyond a few witnesses who claimed that Nuriyah appeared to be with child as she sailed away upon Majdul's ship. The guard's story came under scrutiny, as it was suggested he had been dismissed from his post prior to the attack because he had professed his love for the sultan, and had concocted the tale out of bitterness as a way to smear her reputation.Moorgard on EverQuest Next Forums References